IMI sees increase in training and certifications

Posted on November 22nd, 2013

The International Marina Institute, the training subsidiary of the Association of Marina Industries, said it closed its fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, with its largest training and certification numbers since 2008.

IMI processed 13 certification applications last year, more than double the previous year, and trained more than 300 marina professionals through its conferences, core training programs and online webinars.

“This was a banner year for our training and certification programs,” IMI training coordinator Kayce Florio said in a statement. “The increase in numbers proves that marina professionals continue to be serious about their training and companies are once again releasing training dollars back into their budgets. It is a very positive sign for the industry as a whole, as training and travel are the first things to be cut from budgets when the economy presents major challenges. The industry as a whole is feeling more positive about the future, and that’s good news for all of us.”

The most recent training program that IMI offered was its Intermediate Marina Management course, which took place Nov. 10-14 in Fort Lauderdale. The course was host to 28 marina professionals, equaling the largest IMI class, which was held in 2007.

IMI will offer the Advanced Marina Management course in Charleston, S.C., from Feb. 23-28 and the Marina Makeover Workshop in Chicago in March.

Reformatted and graphically enhanced, the catalog features self-guided training manuals, online classes, conference schedules and beginning to advanced marina management courses. Specific class times, dates and locations can be found throughout the season, which runs through December 2014, at MarinaAssociation.org/training.

“IMI is so much more than the Advanced Marina Management Class and the CMM certification. We have so many more offerings. This new catalog helps to highlight that IMI is the resource for training from entry-level to CMM/CMO certifications and everything in between,” Florio said in a statement. “We are also very fortunate to have a world-class faculty of industry leaders who deliver these programs. They, too, are highlighted in this catalog.”